One of the last people New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton spoke to before entering the ballroom this morning at the Broward County Convention Center for his final Super Bowl press conference was none other than Bill Parcells.

The Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins imparted a little more advice to his protégé, who became the third Parcells disciple to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy last night at Sun Life Stadium. New Orleans stunned the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17, to bring the Crescent City its first championship, and Payton wasn't about to forget the people that helped him get to this point in his coaching life, especially Parcells and another one of his disciples, Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano.

"Tony Sparano and I spent three years with Bill in Dallas, three long years, and I think Bill has been a great influence on our careers," Payton said. "I said this a number of times during the week that I've been very fortunate to have come up and work with a number great coaches, and when you're afforded that opportunity you're able to hone your skills and hopefully learn and become a better coach and I was very fortunate. The years I spent in New York with Wellington Mara and the Tish family and then to have an opportunity to work with Bill and the Jerry Jones family, those opportunities don't come around too often.

"I spent a number of conversations with Bill leading up to this game and just recently, 10 minutes before getting here talking to him, and he taught me so much. Just about people and about teaching and about evaluation and about preparation and I'm better having had a chance to work with him. The history of our league and the great players and great coaches, when you're able to be a part of that history I think you're better off for it and I know you are and I'm thankful for that."

Earlier in the week Payton joked about how Parcells was quicker to the draw and smarter when Payton tried to hire Sparano away from the Cowboys after taking the head coach's job with the Saints in 2006. He considers Parcells and Sparano close friends and praised them for the job they have done with the Dolphins since arriving two years ago.

After following up that answer with one more explanation of the onside kick to open the second half that helped give the Saints their first lead, Payton grabbed hold of the Lombardi Trophy again and posed for a few more pictures, then took a couple of more questions before heading back outside. Lombardi's grandson, Joe, is New Orleans' quarterbacks coach and Payton expressed his belief that the Hall-of-Famer was looking down from heaven and smiling, and being as Parcells is a big admirer of Lombardi, it was appropriate.

SOUTH FLORIDA SHINES BRIGHT ON BIGGEST STAGE: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell revealed that the early returns on last night's television ratings indicate a 10 percent increase from last year's Super Bowls, meaning over 151 million people watched the game. Coupled with the energetic crowd, a majority of who were Saints fans, and the ideal weather, Goodell proudly declared South Florida' 10th Super Bowl a resounding success.

"We obviously had another classic game last night between two terrific teams," Goodell said. "Also preliminary feedback looks like it may have been a record audience to see the Super Bowl, which was clearly more than a game. I keep thinking of the word 'magical,' because when you think about the relationship between the Saints, the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans, it was more than just a football game and more than just a football team. ... It was a great night."

HEARTFELT REFLECTIONS BY SAINTS PLAYERS ON THE MOMENT: It doesn't matter now if they had any prior connection to the city of Miami or this region before last night, because of the history that was made, every player on the Saints will look at Miami and South Florida differently whenever they come back to visit.

MiamiDolphins.com Senior Internet Writer Andy Kent got around to as many Saints players as he could immediately following the game to find out just what Miami and this area will mean to them going forward:

"This is my home. This is where I stay in the offseason, so it's going to always hold a special place and now where I won a Super Bowl I'm going to be able sit on my balcony and smile even harder. The experience here in Miami was everything I expected and more. The 'Who Dat Nation' came through. We knew it was going to be about 70 percent Saints fans here and we're glad they were able to see us win a championship. Now they're going to come back home and celebrate with a parade." - Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper

"Miami will absolutely hold a special place in my heart from now on. Not too many people get this experience and it's a blessing to not only be here but to get a win It was everything I expected and going into this game I just didn't see us losing to be honest with you. I probably can speak for the whole team and it was just great to go out there and show the world that we're the number one team in the NFL." - wide receiver Devery Henderson

"Wherever I win my next Super Bowl, that's going to hold a special place in my heart, so this definitely will hold a special place in my heart, especially being that I had two pick sixes in the same stadium." - cornerback Tracy Porter, who sealed the game with a 74-yard interception for a touchdown off of Peyton Manning

AYODELE FAMILY GETS TO CELBERATE: Saints nose tackle Remi Ayodele made sure he took care of his immediate family before Super Bowl XLIV kicked off by getting them tickets and ensuring they would be close by should he become a part of history. As the confetti was still raining down on the field, Remi sought out his mother and brother Akin, who plays linebacker for the Miami Dolphins.

"He came down. I got him one of the field passes so he came down and my mom was down there with him so that was cool," Remi said. "He was taking it in and he was like, 'So this is what it's like.' It was a good feeling and we had a big embrace. I was really excited. I felt like I was going to explode and felt like I was floating."

Remi actually didn't see Porter's game-winning interception because he was busy occupying two Colts offensive linemen. But once he saw that Porter had the ball in his hands and was running the other direction he told himself that if he scored the Saints would win. He knew he'd still have to focus and play to the end because a future Hall-of-Famer in Manning was still on the other side but it worked out for him in the end.

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